Olivia Preston, a three month volunteer at the Trust, presented graphs and maps of the human disturbance in three homestead forests around Diani on November 18th. 

Olivia, and several Camps International volunteers, and staff from the Trust carried out three forest surveys documenting human disturbance and habitat types to establish base line information for the collaborative Kaya Guards Programme (Kaya Elders, Colobus Trust and CFCU).  The forest surveys were carried out in Kaya Diani, Kaya Muhaka and Kaya Ukunda.  Boundaries were mapped and historic information was also collected.

The results show an interesting trend.  In all three Kayas, the majority of the human disturbance is that of sapling cutting - straight les of diameters of less than 10 cm.  The saplings are used as poles in building structures such as homes and vending stalls.  Timber cutting occurs but at a very low level.  These results are extremely important in making management decisions on conservation actions that are required.

The final report will be available in January 2004.  In January we hope to begin new conservation actions to address the pole cutting issues in the Kayas.

The surveys consisted of:

• Disturbance transects: The area 2 metres either side of the transect will be surveyed for cut and naturally fallen saplings and trees. The survey will also record any other type of disturbance seen such as snares, fire, agricultural encroachment etc. This will indicate the level of human threat that is present.
• Vegetation survey: In broad botanical terms, the vegetation areas will be mapped as well as the boundary of the Kaya.
• Boundary  survey:  Boundaries of the Kayas were mapped as well as other important sites or landmarks.

The relevance of this project is for monitoring. Currently, the Colobus Trust is funding Kaya guards but in order to assess their effectiveness, it is important to have a baseline of data from which we can monitor on a yearly basis. The Kayas are importance as cultural, historical and environmental refuges, which goes beyond just the patch of forests themselves.